Most people think praising God is just about singing songs at church. Although that can be a part of it, praise is so much more than just singing songs. It’s realizing how BIG God is and how little we are.
This reminds me of one of my favorite songs called Yakko’s Universe. Yakko was a character from the cartoon series Animaniacs produced by Steven Spielberg in the mid 90s. I miss this wacky show which was entertaining to kids and adults. Sure it was a cartoon but it was a mix of wit and humor along with some educational segments about various subjects like geography, math, history and so forth – usually done in musical form.
In Yakko’s Universe, Yakko explains in the chorus, “It’s a great big universe and we’re all really puny. We’re just tiny little specks about the size of Mickey Rooney. It’s big and black and inky and we are small and dinky. It’s a big universe and we’re not.” That’s my favorite part: “It’s a big universe and we’re not.” I love that song. When I hear it I always think of how BIG God is. God is BIG and powerful and great – and we’re not.
Then this great, big, powerful God who owns the universe sacrifices His son so we can have salvation. WOW! He says, “Come and follow me and I will care for you. My son has paid the penalty for your sin. I will supply all your needs. I will forgive you. I will be with you in the good times and the bad times. You will never be alone. I will give you strength. I will lift the burdens of this world off your shoulders. I will give you rest. I will give you comfort. I will give you hope. I will give you eternal life. I will give you true love.”
When this sinks in with us, we cannot comprehend the wonder of it all. As we gain understanding we fall to our knees. We cry. We repent. We surrender. This is where praise begins…with a certain brokenness.
Suddenly we see God face to face. We see Him everywhere. We see His strength in a thunderstorm. We see His peace in a sleeping baby. We see His majesty in a towering mountain. We see His joy in a laughing child. We see His beauty in a vibrant sunset. We see His vastness in a star filled sky. We see His guidance in our lives.
We arise from bed in the morning blessing Him. We thank Him as we drive the car. We want to walk with Him. We talk with Him throughout the day. We meditate on His greatness, His power, His love. We whisper the name of Jesus. We shout for joy. These are all part of praising God. Eventually we realize the reason we live is to worship and praise God.
“I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will
continually be in my mouth.” ~Psalm 34:1
